Friday, May 25, 2007

Godspeed for this Black Emperor.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada EP (1999) [9.7]
Shakespeare once wrote that brevity is the soul of wit. Nowhere is this statement better applied than in reference to Godspeed You! Black Emperor's 1999 EP, which at a mere 28 minutes is likely the best intrumental rock album ever recorded. From the slow-burning, sweeping crescendo of "Moya" to the more ambitious and overtly political "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III," the band never makes a misstep and never overstays its welcome. Godspeed, especially when their individual compositions reach the 20+ minute mark, often suffer from being overly repetitive and long in the tooth, but these two tracks melt together into a seamlessly cohesive mini-symphony of ideal length. With seemingly no effort at all, this well-populated Canadian outfit has created something that is emotionally powerful, epic in scope, and damn near perfect.

Standout(s): To be swallowed whole.

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